Sunday February 26

A largely cloudy morning with a moderate south-westerly breeze.

A reasonable start with a flock of 50 Linnets and about 20 buntings,with slightly more Reed Buntings than Yellowhammers in the stubble field. Two Redpolls flew over, quite a contrast from this time last year. The pool contained a pair of Tufted Ducks, always nice to get an easy year-tick.

Tufted Ducks

We continued to the flash pool where we counted two Wigeon, 42 Teal, 43 Lapwings, 17 Black-headed Gulls, eight Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and a Green Sandpiper. I then suggested we went back to the pool to see whether the marsh contained any Jack Snipe.

As we waded across we were soon flushing Common Snipe. Then Dave called me over to say he had found a Jack Snipe on the ground, a rare opportunity to see one well.

Jack Snipe

We sneaked past it, leaving it frozen in tail up mode. Bitterns freeze bill pointing skywards, while Jack Snipe do the exact opposite. We eventually flushed five Jack Snipe (so six including the one we left) and 23 Common Snipe.

As we approached the flash field for a second time we recorded a much more unexpected year-tick. A Kingfisher called loudly from the brook before departing without either of us seeing it. This is the first time I have recorded one here in the first six months of the year, although the species is pretty much guaranteed between July and October.

The pool beyond the flash field contained a pair of Mute Swans, one of which was flashing a colour ring.

55J on an orange ring

This is a new bird, so I will get the details of where it was ringed in due course.

A flock of 84 Lapwings flew in from the north as we headed away, and the final noteworthy bird was a Stonechat in the Dragonfly Pool field.

Stonechat

We are indeed spoilt at Morton Bagot.